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A Man for Emily
"A Man For Emily" is the third episode of season three of The Tomorrow People Original Series. An alien spacecraft arrives in orbit around Earth and one of the aliens descends to Earth in search of food. Unfortunately, these aliens have a rather limited understanding of the culture of Earth, and so their presence and their desires causes complications that must be dealt with by the Tomorrow People.Original Series Episode Guide, tomorrowpeoplelab.net Plot Summary Part One: The Fastest Gun (16 April 1975) A spaceship appears in the solar system and takes up Earth orbit. Aboard the ship are three humanoids: Elmer, Emily, and The Momma. While the ship recharges itself, it orders one of the humanoids to go down to Earth and collect fresh food supplies. Elmer is chosen for this task, and is given cowboy clothes to wear (due to The Momma's interpretation of old cowboy movies as current Earth fashion). TIM detects the ship's arrival. Elizabeth and John put on AE suits and jaunt into space near the ship, in order to check out the inhabitants. The ship teleports Elizabeth aboard, where she meets The Momma and Emily. John jaunts back to the Lab. On Earth, Elmer takes food from a grocery store. When the grocer asks for payment, Elmer draws his six-gun and (in imitation of cowboy movies) shoots the man before fleeing. TIM intercepts the call to the police; Stephen jaunts to the location, heals the grocer, and jaunts away. On the ship, Elizabeth learns that the humanoids don't know how to operate the ship, and are even somewhat under its control. Elmer enters a pub and obtains copious amounts of whiskey by flashing his gun. One of the pub patrons manages to slip away and phone the police. TIM gets the call, whereupon John and Stephen (in cowboy garb) jaunt to the pub and attempt to convince Elmer (who is engaged in a shootout with police) to come with them. John straps a matter transporter belt onto him, but it fails to work. Elmer falls unconscious; John and Stephen jaunt away before the police break into the pub. Part Two: Here We Go Round the Doozlum (23 April 1975) Elmer is taken to jail. The ship threatens to destroy Earth if Elmer is not returned; Elizabeth agrees to get him back. The Tomorrow People stage a jailbreak and manage to help Elmer return to the ship. When John jaunts up to check that he arrived safely, Emily takes a liking to John and wants him to become her "man-boy". John refuses and escapes. In order to make John return, The Momma has Elmer go back to Earth, where he shoots up a pub and gets re-arrested. She then transmits a message to The Lab, where she threatens the destruction of Earth if Elmer is not brought back safely. Part Three: Shotgun Wedding (30 April 1975) Through government intervention, John is able to get Elmer released from jail. Elmer manages to trick John into returning to the ship in his stead, and runs off, only to get busted by the police again. TIM arranges for Elmer to be released directly into the custody of the Tomorrow People. The Momma outfits John with tickling boots (a punishment device), and gives Emily control. John eventually becomes fed up with the girl's inane demands, and causes an air leak. The ship frees John from the tickling boots in return for his stopping the leak. The ship then tells John that the humanoids are the last suvivors of a planet that destroyed itself in a nuclear war. They have been traveling through space for generations, searching for a habitable world. John realizes that the ship has passed up countless suitable worlds in order to justify its own existence. He then forces the ship to relenquish control. Back on Earth, the Tomorrow People help the humanoids integrate into society. The Momma becomes a fishmonger, Emily takes a job as a barmaid, while Elmer takes pride in his new job as a traffic warden. Guest Cast * Elmer - Peter Davison * Emily - Sandra Dickinson * The Momma - Margaret Burton * Publican - Robin Parkinson * Mr Greenhead - Bill Dean Notes The humanoids speak and act in an exaggerated "L'il Abner" manner. American cowboy stereotypes are also employed throughout the story. This story is also noteworthy as being the first television appearance of Peter Davison, who would go on to portray the Fifth Doctor on Doctor Who. References Category:Original Series